I’m Amanda. I’ve got wide eyes, a smart mouth, and a MetroCard. And I’m not afraid to use them.
I can’t believe it’s almost the end of the year. There’s so much more I intended to do, especially on this blog.
Better luck next time, I guess.
Here’s a question from Deanne:
I’m thinking about coming to NYC to be in Times Square for New Year’s Eve.
Any advice?
I get a lot of email through my Contact page, and I’m terrible at answering it in a timely manner. Sorry!
Instead of writing a longer, single Ask Amanda post, today I’m answering a bunch of shorter questions. If you ever want a quicker response to a short question, try me on Formspring. It’s where I talk about the important issues, like what shampoo I use and how I really feel about poodles.
Here’s a question from Jay:
I’ve written before and love all of your writing. I see from your bookshelf that your reading is pretty varied. How do you choose your next book to read? I love to read also and am always looking for a good book to download onto the iPad.
I visited my parents for a week back in August, and there was a point where things came to a head. I had to storm upstairs and cry angrily in a hot shower and then lock myself in the office that’s a spare bedroom.
I told myself, “It’s called a nuclear family, because it’s normal for you to want to blow them up.”
Yep, my dad started talking about the “mosque” near the World Trade Center.
Here’s a question from Ryan:
I’d be very interested to hear your opinion on the “community center/prayer center” or “mosque” controversy.
I know you’re not particularly political on NP, but you are a New Yorker… You must have an opinion on this, right?
My response:
I need to review my records, but I believe next week is my moving to NYC anniversary. Five years, baby!
That’s five years. At least four different hair colors. Three apartments. Four full-time jobs. Three bad break-ups.
Countless heart swelling, “This is where I’m supposed to be” moments. A significantly smaller number of “I’m over this” moments. (Most of those involved apartment woes, I think).
Here’s a question from Jennifer:
I am moving to NYC tomorrow from Texas. I have wanted to move there since the first time I visited and have lived here for my whole life. I am so incredibly emotional and nervous, thank God my sister is going with me for a few days. I will be going to grad school starting the 30th. Any advice for the first few days of wtf am I doing?
My response:
When my blog finally got a new look over the weekend, it was like one of those scenes in What Not To Wear, in which a 36-year-old woman finally cuts the godawful hair she’s been growing out since she was 15.
She’s all weepy and you know the two bitchy co-hosts are biting their tongues, trying not to say, “Do you realize this is the first time since George H.W. Bush was in office that you haven’t looked like shit?”
The path to a new blog design was not without its potholes. I had this vision that one person nodded at, but never produced. And then the same vision that another person nodded at, never mentioned again, and it was all about to be forgotten. Until I realized, “I could be married to this guy before I get him to design this blog layout.”
And I’m not the marriage-minded type.
You know something good has happened when someone other than your mom is reaching out to see if you’re dead, survived only by one neglected blog.
Here’s a question from Kazzy in Australia, whom I’m imagining is like a more Crocodile Dundee version of The Fonz:
Six days and no blog, just wondering if you are on holidays or something big is happening for you? I’m not a Tweeter, so don’t keep up with you there. I await a post.
My response:
I’ve been asked by at least five people now about my Queen Helene hookup.
Here’s a question from another Amanda:
I live on the UWS and am desperately searching for Queen Helene’s stuff! Where is this magical store?
I’ve had similar questions from various pore-conscious men and women in NYC.
My response:
Someone asked me the question in the title on Formspring in the middle of the I Am A Super Woman head blogger search. I didn’t answer it until last night.
I have mixed feelings sometimes about my career of choice. I say career of choice, because I know I can do a lot of things. In the nearly five years since I graduated college, I’ve held a few jobs in different sectors and industries.
I hate the idea of choosing a college major or dream merely because it’s realistic. It’s like always wearing a helmet or waiting until you have something in writing - it disrupts the rhythm of just doing. Sometimes when you have too much to fall back on, you fall back too easily.
I’ve changed a lot since college. Loosened up. Started procrastinating. Abandoned the pursuit of A’s, straight or gay. (Do you know how many gay men I’ve pined for in my life? The number is staggering).
Here’s how I haven’t changed since college: I still live in a small, noisy space among a bunch of strangers. They also smoke a lot of the Mary Jane.
It’s so much nicer to say “No, thanks” now than “As your RA, I’m going to have to call the campus police, who will be here in 45 minutes. Enjoy eating your stash while I’m uptight on the other side of the door.”
You know, I haven’t thought about college in a long time. I should try that again sometime.
Here’s a question from Amanda T.:
My name is Amanda, too! I’m from Dallas, and I came across your site when I was looking up dorms at UT Austin. I can see from an older post that you attended there? I will be attending this fall and was wondering what dorm you stayed in, and if you could tell me anything about the other dorms. Moore-Hill is my first choice, only because my roommate picked it as hers. Thanks!
My response:
A few months ago, one of my college friends was venting to me via instant messenger. He’s a science teacher at a low-performing school in San Antonio now, which is to say, “The kids are crazy!”
Kids are always crazy to some extent at any school, but science class really brings that out in them. There’s something about all the potentially hazardous chemicals and entropy.
I haven’t taught in a classroom in a few years, but I’m happy to give my thoughts on teaching. Mind you, I’m no expert. My best interactions with kids are one-on-one or in small groups. But I can still think like a teacher.
Here’s a question from Billy, who is no doubt a crazy kid but seems very much like a student I’d like:
